Sport Relief: Alan Shearer finds out how your money can make a difference

Alan Shearer with pupils at the Disi primary school in the Nyando district of Nyanza in Kenya

They challenge the former England striker to show off his skills, and it looks like any group of boys enjoying a noisy kickabout.[>

[>

But don’t be fooled, because behind the laughs lies a history of tragedy and suffering.[>

[>

Their tales moved Newcastle United star Alan to tears during a charity trip to Kenya.[>

[>

He was visiting the country on behalf of Sport Relief to see the difference our donations make to the deprived children of Africa.[>

[>

And he immediately struck up a bond with a brave lad called Robert, who has already been through more hardship in his first 16 years than most people face in a lifetime.[>

[>

Alan, 39, explains: “Robert had to become a man overnight. He was tragically orphaned and left to not only fend for himself, but also take care of his younger brother.[>

[>

“He lost his mother to Aids at an early age and when his father also passed away he was only 12 and his brother David just six.”[>

[>

For the last four years Robert has been the man of the house, a fact Match Of The Day pundit Alan found amazing.[>

[>

He says: “When his father died, this lad Robert, just a kid himself, had to take on the kind of responsibilities that would be too much for most adults, never mind a 12-year-old child.[>

[>

“It’s almost impossible to imagine what he has had to go through. [>

[>

“At one point he told me that after the death of their dad, his little brother David was convinced that their father would be coming back, that he had just gone away for a while.[>

[>

“Robert had to help him come to terms with the fact that he was never coming back, that they were alone. [>

[>

“It’s unbelievable, especially when you think of the relatively care-free life a 12-year-old in the UK leads.[>

[>

“It’s taken its toll on Robert, you can see that on his face. He is a cautious and quiet lad and you can see why. [>

[>

“Life dealt him an amazingly tough hand.”[>

[>

Alan does know what it’s like to feel alone at a young age. He grew up playing football on the streets of his hometown of Newcastle.[>

[>

But his life was turned upside down aged 15 when he moved 300 miles away to train with the Southampton youth team.[>

[>

The football pundit still remembers this time as being one of the toughest challenges of his illustrious career. He admits: “I had to grow up fast.”[>

[>

But he also realises that it’s nothing compared with the daily struggle faced by orphaned children in Africa. While Alan had a top flight foot-ball team backing him, the only support Robert and brother David get is from a local project called Omega, which is funded by Sport Relief cash.[>

[>

The centre is a community-based haven for young widows vulnerable to exploitation and abuse and for orphans in danger. [>

[>

Nyanza province, where Robert lives, has the highest rate of HIV in Kenya, with 15.3% of the population suffering.[>

Nyanza is also home to 31% of the country’s orphan population. [>

[>

These shocking statistics are explained by high levels of poverty, HIV-related stigma and inadequate services to address the problem. [>

[>

Alan reveals: “If it wasn’t for Omega, God knows what would have happened to the boys.[>

[>

“They are fed and clothed by the project, have school books and uniform provided by them and are even given some paraffin by them so they can have a little light at night in their tiny home.[>

[>

“The last thing Robert’s dad said to him before he died was that he should try his best to become a doctor – and that is exactly what he is doing. [>

[>

“Every night he studies next to his small paraffin lamp as his brother sleeps.”[>

[>

Alan is encouraging others to get involved with Sport Relief, as he did back in 2008 when he raised over £300,000 on a bike ride with Match Of The Day 2 host Adrian Chiles, 43. [>

[>

This year he’s asking people to help by taking part in the Sport Relief Mile, where participants run one, three or six miles in one of 16 UK locations to raise money for good causes.[>

[>

Alan says: “It was fantastic to play football with the lads here.You can see how much they love the game and what an important part it plays in their otherwise extraordinarily tough lives.[>

[>

“There’s some talent on show too and I had to really work to compete with some of them. I managed to sneak one in though and it felt just as good to score as it did during my playing days.[>

[>

“Robert is a very special boy and it’s amazing to think that by getting sponsored to do the Sport Relief Mile you can give this vital support to kids like him.”[>

[>

To book your place at the Sainsbury’s Sport Relief Mile on Sunday March 21 visit the website at sportrelief.com[>